Woman crosses Simpson Desert on charity trek

Woman crosses Simpson Desert on charity trek

A 25-year-old Birdsville woman has braved feral camels and dingos during a 435-kilometre trek across the Simpson Desert to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).

Jenna Brook enjoys a drink at the end of her Simpson Desert trek, which raised $25,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. (Credit: ABC licensed)

People lined the main street of the outback Queensland town of Birdsville on Monday afternoon to welcome Jenna Brook and her support crew.

By the time Ms Brook finished her 15-day trek by arriving at the veranda of the iconic Birdsville Hotel she had raised nearly $25,000 for the RFDS.

She says the flying doctors are a lifeline in places like Birdsville.

"Without them it's a 1,400 kilometre return trip for us just to see a doctor and that's our nearest one," she said.

"So for tiny little things that you would probably just quickly duck down to your doctor to see, without them you wouldn't be able to do those things. A lot of people to be honest probably couldn't live in sort of rural and remote areas without them."

Ms Brook knows the desert well but was still surprised to find she attracted the attention of a feral camel and some dingoes along the track.

"I saw three dingoes behind me, only no more than probably 40 metres and another three sort of appeared over a short period of time," she said.

"So that was a little bit nerve wracking I suppose, but we made it through so that was good."

She says a feral camel caused her grief when she she crossed into its territory.

"I was walking and I actually spotted a camel in the distance and thought nothing more of it - I thought that it would continue on its way," she said.

"But unfortunately it didn't and it spotted me and assumed that I was in its territory or doing something that I shouldn't be, and proceeded to chase me and forced me to take shelter behind a couple of trees and some Spinifex bushes.

"It's nice to know that I've made it all the way and I'm still in one piece and still walking on my own two legs."

Long journey

The 25-year-old spent six months training for the walk thanks to some long distance coaching via phone, Facebook and email.

There was plenty of family support too: in the middle of the trek she heard the familiar sound of her mum and dad flying above in their light aircraft from Birdsville.

"They did a few fly-bys quite low and then at one point the window opened and out dropped two packages wrapped in bubble wrap and all sorts of coloured tape with little messages," she said.

"Inside was a few blocks of chocolate and some mint slices and Kit-Kats as well as a few bits of paper that had little inspirational quotes and everything that some people had put on my website and Facebook page, so that was very nice."

Jenna's mother, Nell, was flying the plane and her dad, David, dropped the packages out the window.

Nell Brook says it got to the stage where they had to go out and check on her themselves.

"So we then made up a little parcel, nothing out of the ordinary, but just to check that she was OK," she said.

"She was waving, hands were up and we also had satellite phone connection with her, so we could speak with her. But that was really pretty exciting. You know we are very, very proud of her."

Ms Brook says the walk was an opportunity to experience a different side of the desert and reflect on the world around her.

"The amount of people that probably drive through the desert don't see half the things I got to see and hear just by taking a moment at the top of the dunes and looking back at where you came from and knowing that you've already crossed all that and if you just keep going you'll get there in the end," she said.

"It was a really - I don't want to say spiritual - but it was a really special thing to be able to do and I think it teaches you, in a way, to just take a moment and look at what is around you.

"I think that's probably the most important - thing that sometimes it's nice to take things slowly and really see what there is to see."

World partners:

This service includes material from AAP, Agence France-Presse, APTN, BBC, CNN, Getty, Pacnews, Reuters and other agencies which is copyright and cannot be reproduced, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without written consent.